Philip and his daughters who prophesied

On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. Acts 21:8-9

Philip was first introduced in Acts 6:5. He was also the evangelist who led the Ethiopian eunuch to faith in Christ in Acts 8, where we read that his home was in Caesarea.

Philip had four virgin daughters—virgin referring to the fact that they were unmarried. What does it mean that they prophesied? I particularly like commentator John Gill’s succinct explanation of their gift of prophesy:

[They did] not explain and interpret Scripture, or preach in public assemblies; for these were not allowed women, neither in the Jewish synagogues, nor in Christian assemblies; but they were endowed with a gift of foretelling future events, as was promised such should have in Gospel times (Joel 2:28).

Not that theirs was not an office, like that of an elder or a prophet (Ephesians 4:11). Rather their gift was seeing and foretelling future events. Remember Agabus in Acts 11:27–30? Note also that this kind of prophetic gift appears to have been given in the first century, but has ceased since. Let us beware of any who would claim to have such a gift today! There are many who think that because a thought entered their minds, it must have been put there by the Lord, and is therefore “prophetic.”